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Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops

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Yield: 2 Servings

Adapted from: Simply Recipes

Thick cut pork chops are seasoned, then pan seared in a cast iron skillet and smothered in onion & mushroom gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes with a green vegetable.

  • 2TBS vegetable oil or lard
  • 2center-cut pork loin chops, cut 1-inch thick (about 1½ lb)
  • 2tsp kosher salt
  • 1tsp ground black pepper
  • 1yellow onion, halved and sliced ½-inch thick
  • 4oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 2cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3TBS AP flour
  • 1½cups beef (or chicken) stock 
  • ¼cup heavy cream
  • 2sprigs fresh rosemary


Season and sear the pork:

In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat, add the oil. While the oil is heating, sprinkle one side of the pork chops with salt and pepper.

Place the chops into the hot pan, seasoned side down, and sear for 4 minutes, or until they are a dark, golden-brown. While the first sides are searing, season the top side with more salt and pepper. Flip the chops over and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer the chops from the pan to a platter. You may have to do this in batches for a good sear.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms:

Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook them over medium heat, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes or until they are softened and become a deep golden color. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Make the roux:

Once the onions and garlic are cooked down but still a little glossy, sprinkle flour over the veggies. If the onions aren’t glossy, add 1 TBS of oil before adding the flour. Cook the flour for one minute to remove the raw, starchy taste from it.

Add ¼ cup of beef stock to the pan and use your spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The mixture will look like a very thick paste at this point.

Finish making the gravy:

Combine the cream with the rest of the beef stock and pour this liquid into the pan. Add rosemary sprigs and bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Finish the chops:

Nestle the pork chops into the simmering gravy, then cover the pan. Allow the chops to simmer in the thickened gravy for 10 minutes, or until their internal temperature reaches at least 145°F and no higher than 165°F.

Serve the chops:

Place the pork chops over a bed of mashed potatoes and smother them in the gravy.

Simple Sausage & Egg, Breakfast Hand Pies

Simple Sausage & Egg, Breakfast Hand Pies

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Yield: 8 Servings

Adapted from: King Soopers

Bacon and eggs don’t need to be reserved for weekends only. Prep these Savory Breakfast Hand Pies in advance, store them in the freezer and then reheat them later for a warm and wholesome weekday breakfast. Change up fillings as you like using sausage, sautéed mushrooms and peppers.

  • 1package (15 oz) Simple Truth™ Unroll & Bake Pie Crusts
  • 1TBS butter or olive oil
  • 6large eggs, beaten with 1 TBS water
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled -or- 1 cup pre-cooked sausage scrambles
  • 4cups baby spinach
  • 1cup finely shredded white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the butter or olive oil in a non-stick pan and pour in all but 1 TBS of the beaten eggs. The reserved egg will be used as an egg-wash. Cook the eggs over medium heat, stirring gently to scramble the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the bacon or sausage and spinach to the warm eggs and cover for a minute or two to wilt the spinach. Stir in the cheese.

Roll out the pie crusts and cut each into 6 triangles. Divide the filling among 6 of the triangles, brush edges with egg wash and top with the remaining 6 pastry triangles. Seal edges with a fork and brush with egg wash and place hand pies on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden-brown. Enjoy warm.

Do ahead:

If you are making these in advance to freeze, be sure to cool them sufficiently before wrapping and freezing. Reheat in the microwave or in the toaster oven.

Sausage or Bacon, Egg, Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Hand Pies

Sausage or Bacon, Egg, Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Hand Pies

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Yield: 4 to 6

Adapted from: https://hermiseenplace.com/breakfast-hand-pies/

These hand pies are simple to make. The puff pastry is a great alternative to a biscuit or English muffin. The crust is flaky, buttery and easy to prep. You can easily adjust the filling for your taste and preference. In my hand pies I used scrambled eggs, crispy crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, and spinach. All these items were on hand in the fridge.
Prep: 30 Cook: 15

  • 4eggs + 1 egg white
  • 1egg yolk + splash of water for the egg wash
  • ¼tsp onion powder
  • ¼tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼tsp garlic powder
  • ½cup frozen spinach – thawed and drained
  • ½cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1cup pre-cooked sausage scrambles -or- 4 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled
  • 1sheet of frozen puff pastry – thawed
  • salt and pepper to taste


Scramble eggs:

After prepping the ingredients, whisk together the 4 eggs, one egg white and seasonings. Then scramble the eggs like you normally would for breakfast.

Prep pastry and fill:

Once the eggs were cooked, fold the sausage and/or crumbled bacon pieces and spinach into the eggs. Set this aside while you prep the thawed puff pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry slightly. Divide the pastry into 6 squares. 

Fill each square with the scrambled egg mixture and top each off with a pinch of cheese. Fold the corners in towards the center. Dab the corners with egg wash and pinch the ends of each corner together tightly. During the baking process they can separate as the pastry puffs up.

Egg wash and bake:

Brush each with egg wash. Season the tops with salt and pepper.

Bake the hand pies in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes. Because the eggs in the filling are already cooked, the puff pastry just needs to cook thoroughly and the filling to rewarm.

Yellow Rice with Black Beans & Corn

Yellow Rice with Black Beans & Corn

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Yield: 4

Scott Nowell

Cook: 30

  • 1small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • olive oil
  • 2TBS tomato paste
  • 2large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1cup uncooked long-grain rice
  • 1½cups chicken broth
  • 1tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½tsp chili powder
  • ½tsp ground cumin
  • 1cup whole kernel corn, frozen
  • 1(15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ¼cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 2tsp lime juice

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the tomato paste, garlic, and rice, cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.

Add 1½ cups of chicken broth, 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste, ½ tsp chili powder, and ½ tsp cumin, turn the heat up and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 16-20 minutes. Turn off heat.

Add corn, black beans, lime juice, and cumin to rice, mix and let sit uncovered for a few minutes to dry out.

Serve.

Chicken Francese, and Artichoke

Chicken Francese, and Artichoke

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: NY Times

Inspired by chicken francese, a popular Italian American breaded chicken dish, this lemony breaded chicken-and-artichoke recipe creates a bright, one-skillet meal. This recipe embraces the traditional flavor profile — “Francese” means French in Italian, acknowledging the origins of the butter-and-lemon sauce — but otherwise veers from tradition: The chicken breasts are cut into bite-size pieces (rather than being thinly pounded) to mirror the size of the artichoke hearts. The breaded chicken and artichokes are all prepared in the same pan, then lacquered with the wine and lemon butter sauce. Fried lemon slices add visual flair and tart flavor. A smattering of parsley makes this meal feel like a restaurant-quality dish.

  • 1cup AP flour
  • 3TBS finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 2tsp kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
  • 1tsp cornstarch
  • 2lemons
  • 3eggs
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 114-oz can artichoke hearts, drained, halved and patted dry
  • 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 4TBS unsalted butter
  • 1cup white wine
  • 2cups chicken stock
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¼cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

 

Prep:

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, cheese, salt, cornstarch and the zest of 1 lemon. Reserve 4 TBS of the flour mixture for the sauce in Step 6.

In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 3 TBS of water.

Slice the remaining whole lemon crosswise into thin rounds, discarding seeds.

Fry:

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Dip the artichokes in the flour mixture followed by the egg wash to coat completely, then immediately fry them in batches in the oil until golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the artichokes to a large platter or baking sheet and season with salt. Repeat the entire process with the chicken, cooking it 3 to 4 minutes per side, and then the lemon slices, frying them 1 minute per side then placing them on the platter.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Wipe out the pan.

Sauce:

Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the reserved flour mixture and whisk until it begins to brown. Add the wine and the juice from the zested lemon, whisking constantly to combine. Add the chicken stock and allow the mixture to bubble and thicken, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken and artichokes and cook over low, stirring to coat, until warmed, about 5 minutes.

Serve:

Spoon the chicken and artichokes onto a serving platter.

Garnish with the fried lemon slices and chopped parsley and serve.

Chicken Francese

Chicken Francese

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Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from: NY Times

Chicken Francese, sometimes called chicken French, is one of those rare restaurant dishes that’s truly easy to cook at home. If you can make chicken cutlets, you can make this lemony, buttery recipe; the only difference is an easy pan sauce that brightens the whole plate. This version includes lemon slices browned in butter, which are pretty and tasty but entirely optional. Although the name suggests that it’s a French or Italian dish (“Francese” means French in Italian), it’s neither: Like spaghetti and meatballs, it’s a mostly Italian American invention. Serve with something starchy to soak up every drop of the sauce; pasta is traditional.

  • eggs
  • 2TBS whole milk
  • 1tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
  • ½tsp ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
  • 1cup AP flour
  • ⅓cup olive oil
  • ⅓cup vegetable oil
  • 4-6large boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (buy the cutlets thinly sliced, or buy regular boneless breasts and slice them in half horizontally to make thin pieces)
  • 3-6TBS unsalted butter
  • 1lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed (optional)
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
  • 2cups chicken stock
  • 3-4TBS freshly minced parsley


Prep:

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended.

Place the flour in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

In a wide skillet, heat olive oil and vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering.

Fry cutlets:
Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, lightly dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Dip into egg batter, let excess batter drip back into the bowl and place it in the skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden-brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as the cutlets cook so they brown slowly and evenly, with a steady bubbling. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined pan and repeat with remaining cutlets.

When all cutlets are browned, remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Return the pan to low heat.

Brown butter lemon slices:

Melt 3 TBS of the butter and then scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring gently occasionally, until the lemon slices are golden and start to brown around the edges, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set them aside.

Sauce:

Add 3 TBS of butter, ½ cup white wine and juice from a whole lemon and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and cook until thickened into a sauce, about 5 minutes. (It will thicken more when you add the cutlets.) Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon, salt and pepper; it should be quite lemony and not too salty.

Reduce the heat, tuck the cutlets into the pan and simmer very gently until the sauce is velvety and the chicken pieces are heated through, for about 4 minutes. Turn the cutlets over occasionally in the sauce. Place the browned lemon slices on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve, spooning some of the sauce over each serving.

Fish and Almost Chips

Fish and Almost Chips

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: WaPo

A gentle riff on British deep-fried fish and chips, the fish and potatoes are broiled instead of fried. But before you put them in the oven, you’ll marinate them in a pungent mixture of shallots (thinly sliced), garlic (minced or finely grated), chives (minced), oil, vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper.

  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1½lb large red-skinned potatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick
  • water, as needed
  • 4medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3cloves garlic, minced or finely grated, divided
  • 3TBS minced fresh chives, divided
  • ¼cup plus 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • fine salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 46-oz cod fillets, ¾-inch thick
  • finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon (3 TBS)
  • 2TBS white wine vinegar
  • 2tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving


Prep:

Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element, preheat to 425°F. Line a half sheet pan with a double layer of foil, then grease it with cooking spray.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the potatoes with a few TBS of water. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes, or until almost tender, repositioning them halfway through for even cooking.

Carefully drain the water from the bowl, then transfer the potatoes to the prepared sheet pan. Add the shallots, ¼ cup of the oil, half of the chives and about one clove of the garlic, tossing to evenly combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes have fully softened and started to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Broil:

Preheat the broiler to HIGH.

While the potatoes are in the oven, wipe out the bowl used for the potatoes. To the bowl, add the cod, 2 TBS of olive oil, 2 TBS of vinegar, 2 cloves of garlic, zest and juice of half a lemon, and gently toss to evenly coat. Let the fish marinate until the oven has preheated to broil.

When the broiler is ready, place the fish on top of the potatoes and pour about half of the marinade over the fillets. Return the pan to the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, or to your desired degree of doneness. Some of the potatoes will brown and crisp at the edges, rotate the pan from front to back if they begin to burn.

Remove the sheet pan from the oven and top the fish and potatoes with the thyme, parsley and the remaining chives. Serve right away.

Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp Tacos

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: Natasha’s Kitchen

Not a fan of Cotija cheese, so I will probably just use Tex/Mex.

Shrimp taco sauce:

  • ⅓cup sour cream 
  • ⅓cup mayonnaise
  • 1½TBS lime juice, squeezed from 1 medium lime
  • ¾tsp garlic powder
  • dash hot sauce, or to taste

For the shrimp:

  • 1lb shrimp (medium or large), raw
  • 1garlic clove, pressed or minced
  • ½tsp sea salt
  • ¼tsp black pepper
  • ¼tsp ground cumin
  • pinch cayenne pepper

Shrimp taco toppings:

  • 8white corn tortillas, (small, 6” diameter), or Hard Taco Shells
  • ½small purple cabbage, 2 cups shredded
  • 1large avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
  • ½red onion, diced
  • 4oz Cotija cheese or substitute, (1 cup grated on a box grater)
  • ¼bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 1lime, cut into 8 wedges
  • 1TBS olive oil


Make the shrimp taco sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside for the flavors to meld. Transfer to a squeeze bottle if desired.

Prep the toppings:

Thinly slice cabbage, dice the avocado, finely dice the red onion, and coarsely chop the cilantro. Arrange toppings in small bowls for easy serving.

Season the shrimp:

Thaw and pat dry the shrimp with paper towels and place in a medium bowl. Add seasonings and garlic and stir to combine.

Cook the shrimp:

Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 TBS olive oil and add shrimp in a single layer. Sauté 1-2 minutes per side or just until cooked through. As soon as they are cooked through (white inside with some pink and red accents outside), transfer to a serving platter and set aside to cool.

Heat the tortillas:

You can toast the tortillas over a gas flame, on a griddle or in a skillet**.

To serve:

Build tacos by arranging toppings and shrimp over each toasted tortilla. Serve drizzled with the taco sauce.

Notes

**How to heat tortillas:

Gas stove:

Toast tortillas one at a time over an open gas stovetop flame on medium/low heat (about 10 seconds per side) until lightly charred on the edges.

Toast tortillas in the oven:

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil about 6-8 inches from the heat source for 2 minutes or until you see browned spots on the tortillas.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat and toast tortillas for 15-30 seconds on each side or until golden. No oil needed.

Ground Beef Tacos

Ground Beef Tacos

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: feelgoodfoodie

These are tasty but a bit on the messy side. Mild heat from the chili powder.

  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 1shallot, minced
  • 1lb lean ground beef
  • 2tsp chili powder
  • 2tsp cumin
  • ½tsp oregano
  • ½tsp garlic powder
  • ½tsp salt
  • ½tsp black pepper
  • 2TBS tomato paste
  • ½cup water

For serving the tacos:

  • 8Corn or flour tortillas
  • Lettuce finely chopped
  • Shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese
  • Tomatoes chopped
  • Red onions chopped
  • Salsa

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallot and ground beef and cook until browned, for about 5-7 minutes. Drain any fat.

Add the chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomato paste and water. Stir to combine and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes

Serve warm over tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and red onions, or your other desired toppings.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Double Chocolate Cookies

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Yield: 9 to 10 big cookies.

Samantha Seneviratne / NY Times

With plenty of cocoa powder and big wells of dark chocolate, these double chocolate cookies are so fudgy that a tall glass of cold milk is not only delicious, but essential — especially when they are served hot from the oven. Just like David Leite’s impeccable chocolate chip cookies, they bake up even better after the dough has had time to rest in the fridge. The extralong chill gives the dough a chance to hydrate fully and firm up, which yields more uniformly baked cookies, with the perfect amount of crunch around the edges and chew in the center. Thin chocolate discs or wafers, which are widely available, are used here. They melt into lovely chocolate layers as the cookies bake. But if you can’t find them, chocolate chips make a fine substitute; there’s no need to adjust the baking time.

  • 1cup AP flour
  • ¾cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • ¾tsp kosher salt
  • ½tsp baking powder
  • ½tsp baking soda
  • 10TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾cup dark brown sugar
  • ⅔cup granulated sugar
  • 1large egg
  • 2tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate discs (or use 2 cups chocolate chips)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until very light, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the chocolate discs and mix briefly to combine. Press plastic wrap against the dough and chill it for at least 24 hours and up to 36.

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Portion the dough out into balls slightly larger than golf balls, about 3½ oz each, and transfer five balls to the baking sheet. (They will spread significantly.) Bake the cookies until set, being careful to remove cookies from the oven when still soft in the center, about 18 minutes. Transfer the parchment with the cookies to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough, baking a second batch of four or five cookies. Serve warm.